What We Are About – The Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse

The first lunar eclipse of 2011 will take place on Wednesday. It will be a total eclipse, meaning the Earth will completely block the light of the Sun. The Full Moon will transform from a silver orb to a dusky red disk, and it will last a long time. The event will begin at about 1:25 pm EDT and end about five and a half hours later. For 100 minutes in the middle of that period, Luna will be totally within our planet’s shadow.

Weather permitting, the eclipse will be visible from the eastern edge of South America, all of Africa, nearly all of Europe and Asia and most of Australia. It is the second of three eclipses taking place within a 30-day period. The cycle started with a partial solar eclipse on the first day of June. It will end when the Sun is once again partially obscured by the Moon on the first day of July.

Thus it is that we will literally be in the middle. Earth will be in between the Sun and Moon. We will be at the mid-point of a cycle precisely in the middle of a month. If there is anything to astrology, the literal will carry over to the figurative. What you may see in the sky corresponds to symbols on a piece of paper. The idea is that those symbols represent something going on in your life. In all probability, that would be a process that started about two weeks ago and is now about halfway through.

What that something is, you may already have figured out. If you haven’t, please don’t feel bad. Nearly all of us are deeply involved in our own lives. It can take years, even decades to get perspective on what we are going through right now. Fortunately, we have more than just the Sun and Moon to work with. That means we have the opportunity to go beyond the idea that we are in the middle of a process and get a feel for the details.

Given what has happened so far, it is probably best to start off looking at the big picture. The plainest fact about an eclipse is that one of the two biggest and brightest lights in the sky gets blocked and goes dark (or at least darker) for a while. That gets your attention if anything will. Rarely is it a once and done sort of event: One eclipse follows another. The idea is to pay attention to what is going on in between.

Sure enough, something else has been going on in the sky. Since the first of June, no less than ten planets, major and minor, have either changed sign or apparent direction. That’s a lot. It’s a pattern. Specifically, it is a pattern of patterns changing at a remarkable pace. It is definitely not business as usual. Above all, it symbolically demonstrates a salient property of eclipses: acceleration.

In some way, it probably extends to your life. Please try an experiment. If you can, begin a list of the recent and rapid succession of events which have put you in a different place or set you in a different direction. Notice what has happened to you when you are done. If you have moved past a vague sense of being in the middle of something, the symbolic will have become real. From there the next step is to focus on where you are going in such a hurry.

After acceleration, focus is another property of eclipses that you can actually own. It helps us discern what we are being compelled to move away from. More importantly, it allows us to be conscious of choices available to us regarding what we are moving towards. That brings us to the specific feature that makes Wednesday’s event unique.

It is not the position of the luminaries. On June 14, 1992, the Sun and Moon opposed along an axis within three arc minutes of where they will be on Wednesday. Neither is it the axis of the lunar nodes, where eclipses take place. That has also repeated before. Rather, it will be a third axis of opposition, very close to the first two. It will be between Mercury and the core of our galaxy, opposed to the degree.

Mercury will not be visible yet, but it will have passed to the west of the Sun. The center of our galaxy will be less than five hours east of the Moon. Between them will be the straight road from the planet that symbolizes how we think to ‘another country’ beyond the reach of what we can conceive.

The Galactic Center is, above all, beyond what our consciousness can grasp without resorting to abstraction. We, however, are not beyond the influence of its gravity and radiation. If this eclipse means anything, the axis between Mercury and The Core clearly implies that we have the opportunity to correct that imbalance. We are, in fact, members of the galaxy’s constituency. Working towards conscious awareness of just what that means is what we, and this eclipse, are about.

22 Responses to What We Are About – The Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse

Wow. I haven’t been here in a long time and sat down at sunset in Hawaii, to catch up and make myself take a break from the “warp speed” that I too, have been living since November. I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the dialogue going on here and the support for Carrie that everyone has given. Thanks to you Carrie for sharing your personal story…..it’s unbelievable the amount of pain that continues to come up for healing, all around me and within me.

Thank you for being our teacher today. Your pain is just as great as a daughter who was appreciated by her father in her early years, if not more so. Archetypes can give us clues as to what they mean in a horoscope, but lack the details that fill in the whole picture. People who study and practice astrology rely on archetypes much the way archeologists rely on fossils and fragments that have been buried underground to explain the past. I’m very glad to hear that you desire to play a greater part in your community and that, through the magic of astrology and the internet, I have helped in some small way.

We would also like to hear of what doors open up for you during this epochal time in your life as change and evolution of a society is achieved one person at a time. I wish you the best my friend.
be

Thanks for doing all that. Your words are very helpful but in ways you may not have imagined. I live in Flagstaff, he doesn’t so the chart applies to me more than to him. The way I see it, I have to decide how to deal with what he is going through. I also feel a very huge desire to be doing something in my community that I have been a bit fearful about. Between dealing with him and this push to DO that something, this chart you explained speaks to both.

My dad is unlikely to do the soul searching you suggest; he has not ever been one to delve into things like that because he has his religion to cling to and he clings to it happily. It brings him peace to have it. I am the one who goes into the deepest parts of myself and tries to see what I am supposed to see. This whole episode with him has been a real journey for me because as my astrology teacher said upon seeing my chart, my Dad has been absent from my life for the most part, either physically (because of the divorce and his Army work) or emotionally (because of his self-centered-ness and my fear of him, placed there by my jealous mother). He allowed his second wife to isolate him away from me especially because again, I was a female rival for his affections and he went along with her in that for 27 years. He also passed me and my brothers by in his end-of-life asset decisions and health care decisions, passing these along to her son. That hurt me but I felt I had no way to deal with it.

Then his wife died first, her son took her money and flaked out, and I was there like the dutiful and compassionate daughter to comfort him and care for him. In doing so, I found that I didn’t like him much but I still could not harm him because I have too much compassion to do that to anyone and he did be the best father he thought he could be for the times. So it is a love-dislike relationship. He has always valued his money over anyone and anything else and suddenly he is allowing me to manage it for him. He will send $1000 to an evangelical minister- no questions asked as to how HE spends it but I account for every penny I spend in his behalf. That double standard still hurts but I still do what I should for him because I cannot lose my integrity; pain is no excuse for lowering MY standards.

So I go today to help him get out of a mess he created because of his stubbornness and I go to find out what he needs and to make sure he gets it. I give him my love even though I still feel dislike and resentment for him. I just cannot harm a vulnerable old man who has been through so much suffering. It is very difficult to hear him go on about how much he misses his wife who smoked him into bad health and isolated him so much he lost years with his grandkids. He left notes all over the apartment for her, telling her he loved her but not a single note from her in return was there. I despise him for his weakness when it comes to her; how could he not see her for the cheap, jealous, barfly that she was? She pretended to be a good Christian go get him. She would say she could not sit in church because of the pain but she could sit for hours in a casino gambling. He was so blind he chose not to see and in doing that, he missed all his kids’ weddings and his oldest son’s funeral.

So I have such conflicting emotions about him; sadness to see him in such misery, compassion for his suffering, anger and pain because of how he has been (and continues to be) with me (he calls me at 5 in the morning wanting me to DO for him and seems to think I am his personal servant) and guilt for feeling angry. Dealing with him is the pain that keeps on giving pain.

I don’t know what will happen but I will continue doing what I can for him with compassion, despite my resentment (which I do not show him because he has had enough pain and suffering).

Thanks for giving me such great advice everyone; I really appreciate all of you.

The eclipse chart for Flagstaff has the cardinal signs on the midheaven and ascendant instead of the fixed signs as it will be in Washington DC. This is also true for where I live in Kentucky, so the two Venus yods will be in force mainly for the government leaders it seems. However, in Flagstaff there is another yod consisting of a sextile of Jupiter and Neptune, and by extension, Chiron, who will form a yod with the ascendant in early Libra where the Super Galactic Center resides. It is made up of many intense black holes and Phil Sedgwick says “No more potent point of healing exists than that of the Super Galactic Center.

If one has a placement in their natal chart in this area (2+ Libra) it will manifest as a need for a relationship for the individual; someone who is the end-all, be-all, often thought of as their soul mate. Since this is a chart of a city not an individual, that might be expressed as a community neediness of some sort, and it is the point of release in the yod, backed up by the energy of Jupiter and Neptune. What these two have in common is their rulership of Pisces the sign which is associated with a deep spiritual longing to be part of the One Universal Creative Energy. When I saw this, I remembered what you said about your father and that when he lost his wife he withdrew and didn’t “want to live anymore”. This might mean he has a decision he must make regarding whether to love himself (his own soul mate being himself) or not. Here is what Phil Sedgwick says:

“The Super-Galactic Center maintains the greatest implication of soul retrieval of any point in the Universe. it demands that you get back in there and deal with yourself in an essential manner. It is essential that you do so. It is also unavoidable. It will happen. The only question is when?”

Once again, this is not something based on his birthchart, or yours, only a general energy pattern for your place on the planet. Still, what a revealing picture it gives us, and what an opportunity it might offer for your dad and many others in their own unique life situation. Phil suggests having “intimate experiences with the self” for example “placing a hand over the heart and the other above the sacral center in a soulful, self-full, love-bonding encounter.” Also, “perceive your own energy and fuse it with your physical-cellular structure.”

You are in a unique position to aid your dad in his decision, but like Green-star-gazer says in her quote “the patient always is in charge of this journey”. I hope these thoughts serve you in some way and that you remember you are not alone.
be

Carrie, you are in our thoughts and prayers, as is your Dad. I know the weight you bear now… it is very natural to feel conflicted. I share the sage advice that was given to me by a Unitarian minister at Mass General when my father was there in the ICU three years ago… she said: that the patient always is in charge of this journey. We are along for the ride. While there are signs of hope, you hope. And if the patient gives you the sign (and they always do) that it is time to let go, then you follow their lead and let go. You don’t have to burden yourself with feeling that you are responsible for his journey… the most and best you can do is support him unconditionally and love love love all the way till the story is complete for however long it takes.

On a practical note, since you are in Flagstaff… look up “Further Shore” for support. My dear friends Aleia and Robert will help you when they return from their time away, which will be very soon. She is an amazing soul of the deepest kind, a Capricorn and knows no fear when it comes to meeting deep feelings. She is a Mother Goddess to many who are in transition… and being Capricorn has many practical tools in her toolbox to help you (and your dad) get thru this tight squeeze.
Blessed Be to you both.

To Len and Eric: thank you thank you. These words of wisdom are such “stellar” guideposts now for me (pun intended). There has been a huge and totally unexpected unraveling in my life/world/sphere and I was trying to understand how to approach it… lean in further to get more clarity and some sort of resolution, or step back and wait… all these planets are hitting my planets and angles and it’s hard for me to see straight with all the ringing going on, not to mention deep disappointments for dreams that have been shattered (an all too familiar pattern for me, sadly) by someone I trusted to be true but turns out to be false. So sad… for this dream was not for me but for something much bigger and was going to be a gift to the future.
But, Sag rising that I am, I refuse to give in to despair. All this powerful eclipse energy must be building for something good and positive, yes? I truly hope so. Meanwhile, I must follow my own advice and let go. The death of a dream is no less poignant than the death of a loved one, for as creative people do we artists not love our dreams and visions as much as we love the people (and animals) in our lives?

Standing now on the swept-clean decks of this tiny ship and looking fiercely into the dawn for a new beginning.

BR: yes that would be fun, are you bringing velcro? , congrats with your breakthrough, sounds like a good thing, and I can’t say enough about working for yourself…I still feel bad about our misunderstandings, thank you for being so generous and kind. I am prob. too hot-headed to be allowed on these comment boards…

Carrie: dear, you have been through so many turbulent waters lately, I am sending you good thoughts, and healing energy to you and your Dad.

be: thank you for your v. interesting eclipse info. I must dig around for a chart to see what you are talking abut.

Len and Lisa: I appreciate your tips. a great reminder for me that it *isn’t* just about Wed, that it is an energetic that continues to exert an influence(s) over a period of time. that is great! perfect. I’m planning a trip back to the EU – I don’t do so well here- that’s all there is to it. it is weird to think that actually right about now, I’m being influenced by the eclipse last December, which I totally watched, and I can see connections to that time Now…

Lisa,
Thank you in turn for introducing some tools that will help us to follow up and evaluate. Eclipses are known for their “legs”, continuing to matter long after the actual event. Your contribution allows us to look ahead and mark dates when it will be appropriate to look back.

Thanks, Len! Well, at least I now know I am not imagining getting sucked into he GC whole these past few days (natal Merc 24 Gemini, Part of Fortune 24 Sag). Let you all know what it’s like when I return.
Got my shades on SiS, and I will try to hook up with you before I am fully gone if you want to join me for the dive.
Besides that there is a breakthrough in my quest to end my 43 year-long legal-financial partnership and I have successfully started a new small business that I love. Endings, Beginnings and The GC. What a summer.

Excellent article Len. Have read it several times and found it very helpful in grounding and preparing for the upcoming eclipse. If we use the equation of 1 month = 1 hour this eclipse portal would be active through november of this year, with Mars conjunct and activating the eclipse degree around July 25, 2011. Still learning much about the eclipse cycles, especially looking backwards at past eclipse effects on current day — that makes me cross-eyed with confusion! Ha! Thanks Len for keeping us in the moment.

You have inherited a lot of responsibility recently and I hope your father’s health improves as you do. His situation as you described it bears out the connection between our feelings and our physical well being. There is another pattern in this upcoming lunar eclipse that I believe reflects your situation, but is dependent on where you live as it involves the location of the midheaven and ascendant of the chart.

For the chart set in Washington DC there is a trine (120 degrees) between the midheaven and Uranus and right in the middle is Venus. She forms a sextile (60 degrees) to both the midheaven and Uranus. The sextile of Venus and Uranus forms a yod with the ascendant of the chart for DC which is early Scorpio. The yod between Venus and the midheaven forms a yod with Pluto. If where you live has early Scorpio rising and early Leo on the midheaven for the eclipse it could represent your having to manage his estate and his care as well as the rapid onset of his physical and emotional/mental down turn. In this case, Venus is in the 8th house.

As it is, no matter where you are, Venus will trine Saturn and square Chiron in this eclipse chart. Venus trine Saturn will provides strength and wisdom and mental steadiness, while Venus square Chiron will pit feeling against thinking as a way to make awareness inescapable. The sextile between Venus and Uranus is full of surprises and the unexpected; the quincunx to Pluto provides a purge of deeply held beliefs and thoughts associated with the legalities of shared resources.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your father Carrie. Give him love and keep us posted on his situation as we support you at this difficult time.
be

Patty and Amanda,
Thank you for your question about 1992. Given the fact that synchronicity is central to astrology, it is a very good question. It is fair to say the eclipses have their cycles. In this case a cycle that has more to do with the lunar nodes than the Sun and Moon. A cycle of about 19 years as the nodes do their Fred-and-Ginger around the zodiac.

It is also fair to say “that was then, this is now”.

Many people may find themselves in a similar situation, facing similar decisions. Those situations or decisions may involve a polarity between the conscious and unconscious. Or perhaps between the social and the spiritual. The subject of negotiation may be a part of it. Have you been invited to negotiate recently? How did you react?

The main thing to remember is that you are not the same person you were 19 years ago. You have grown and evolved. You have learned. Also, the planets are not in the same position. This is not a repeat. This is an opportunity for validation and affirmation. Both for yourself and others. Have you affirmed or validated somebody today? It could work wonders. Have you done it for yourself? It could work miracles.

i was wondering that too, patty. i forget the date of my high school commencement ceremony, but it would have been sometime in june 1992 — and i was definitely ready to expand my horizons and get out of dodge. a very sagittarian time for me, i guess. and this eclipse is roughly conjunct my moon. sounds like fun!

Wow Len, thanks! About two weeks ago, my father fell (for the fifth time in a week) and went into the hospital. This was the tail end so a series of events which happened at the end of February when his wife was hospitalized. He fell, she died, I am now his heir and in charge of his assets and his health care, and things seem to be rapidly moving in a very weird direction since Thursday, June 2nd. He has been in the intensive care unit, is forgetting things, seems to be getting worse and I have a ton of issues to handle for him. I hope this week’s eclipse brings some better news for his health; he seems to be deteriorating and will need round-the-clock care from now on. Losing his independence after losing his wife may be the death knell for him; he already doesn’t want to live anymore and is only here tenuously. :::sigh:::

Len, I thoroughly enjoy your work and turn frequently to this blog. Your words..”If this eclipse means anything, the axis between Mercury and The Core clearly implies that we have the opportunity to correct that imbalance”….rang clear as a bell to me. I have 5 planets in Virgo and my North Node is Gemini……so Mercury and I are good friends. Last week, it streamed through me, “when we learn to honor, respect and care for the Earth, then this planet will rise to it’s true place within the Galaxy.” It seems to me as if the Galaxy is waiting for and very much assisting us in this process. But of course, why would they want us to join their powerful union until we are fully caring and honoring our own planet? I would think our past practice of neglect and abuse to the Earth would not be appreciated by the other planets and they would be rightfully distance and protect themselves. But as consciousness grows and we recognize our role as Earth Stewards, then we will live in balance and harmony with the Earth and Sky!

What ever happened to those lazy, crazy days of summer, huh? Is that just for kids now or has it just disappeared completely? I hear you Len, acceleration. . as in warp speed ahead. I would gladly make a list of my “recent and rapid in succession events” if I could only remember them all and if I only had the time. But I’m late, I’m late for a very important date. . . well that’s IT Len! I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole and have landed in a whole different country. It is gratifying to know that we are in the middle of something, which implies there is an end to that something,right? Unless there are more than 3 dimensions here.

It’s also good to know that Mercury is beaming us (up? down?) some Galactic Core/Center wisdom and, hopefully, some of that balance you speak of. Goddess knows it’s needed, and if the pace won’t get you, the dizzying effect of the pattern of patterns will, and forget perspective dear ones, just tell me which way is up. I speak for myself only, of course, maybe you have a better handle to hold onto.

Now as I recollect, Mercury is the lower octive of Uranus, and they just had a trine a week or so ago, so I’d be willing to bet that Uranus is behind all this rapidity and unexpectedness. Good grief, I hope that intersection between them this weekend has a traffic light, and that it is RED! Not that I’m not for conscious awareness and all that, but give me a break and cut me some slack.

I’m so glad mystes reminded us to get that velcro as we need something to hang on to and something to hang on to us! Peace and Love brethren and I’ll see you on the other side.
be

Excellent article Len, as always. “Patterns changing at a remarkable pace.” Definitely. I recognize significant changes in my own thought patterns while feeling in the midst of an in-between, limbo-ish moment. Waiting for the change to grow roots.

Knowing clearly what I “moving away from.” Waiting to see what “choices are available” to me regarding what I am moving towards. Encouraging to hear from you that another choice is in the making.